MSc in Management and Corporate
Sustainability
Course structure and content 2016-2017
The Cranfield MSc in Management and Corporate Sustainability is a one-year programme starting in September
each year.
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Term 1: 26 September 2016 - 16 December 2016
Term 2: 9 January 2017 - 24 March 2017
Term 3: 10 April 2017 - 23 June 2017
Term 4: 26 June 2017 - 8 September 2017
Term one
Marketing Strategy and Planning
This module will familiarise you with the principles of strategic marketing and how to apply them to the
marketing planning process. At the end of this practical module you will understand the marketing planning
process, be able to structure and prepare a comprehensive strategic marketing plan and evaluate marketing
plans prepared by others.
Managing People and Organisations
During this module you will be introduced to various aspects of people and organisations. It combines key
ideas from organisational behaviour, psychology, sociology, and human resource management in order to
provide you with a basic understanding and fluency in recognising, understanding and utilising what has been
termed the "human factor" in organisations. We will also consider the impact of the external environment on
organisations and address notions of organisational change.
Managing Profitability, Liquidity and Asset Utilisation
In this module you will learn about the role of finance within an organisation and familiarise you with a number
of traditional and contemporary costing approaches. Upon completion of the module you will be able to
identify how management decisions impact the financial performance of an organisation, appreciate the
theoretical concepts that underpin cost accounting and compare the strengths and weaknesses of different
costing approaches. You will also be able to interpret company accounts and apply financial tools and
techniques to appraise project, product and customer profitability.
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Improving Decision Quality with Management Science
This module will introduce you to the management science approach by presenting a range of techniques that
are used to support management decisions. The techniques that will be covered range from simple graphs to
deterministic and stochastic modelling, including statistical analysis and forecasting methods. All lectures are
designed to be interactive and the focus of the module will be on the practical application of methods and on
the interpretation of data.
Economics for Managers
In this module you will be introduced to the concepts and techniques associated with managerial economics at
both the microeconomic and macroeconomic level. You will learn to employ economic reasoning then making
choices about the use of resources, recognise the importance of marginal analysis and diminishing returns in
the context of business and consumer decisions, and analyse the external environment to understand the
forces shaping the firm's competitive environment.
Managing Operations
This module will teach you about the strategic role of operations and how to design and manage the
operations process. It will cover the tools and techniques of process improvement, capacity and inventory
management, quality management, and performance management. You will learn to evaluate the contribution
of operations to the development and implementation of successful business strategy, to appraise the critical
issues faced by different operations, to select priorities for operational performance improvement, and plan
the means to bring about that improvement.
Term two
Strategic Management
This module will examine the key challenges that companies face and the range of approaches they employ as
they seek to navigate complex environments. You will develop your ability to make strategic decisions, improve
your ability to think strategically and apply various strategic management tools and techniques in practice.
Managing Corporate Sustainability
Global sustainability challenges are shaping the way businesses operate in the twenty-first century.
This module outlines the major sustainability challenges and explores how progressive organisations are
responding to them in terms of organisational mind-set, leadership, value-chain, collaboration and change
management. It will give you a better understanding of how corporate action can be best configured to
promote responsible and sustainable business strategies, and invite you to think about the purpose of
business.
Creating Sustainable Organisations
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This module will further discuss some of the major sustainability challenges facing organisations today, and will
explore how the leading organisations are managing their social, environmental and economic impacts. You
will gain a better understanding of how organisational action can be aligned to promote responsible and
sustainable values and you will reflect on the long-standing debates concerning the political economy and
ethical management practices.
Applied Science and Technology of Environmental Sustainability
During this module you will review the business case for environmental sustainability in terms of resource
security, risk management, regulatory compliance and supply chain management. Furthermore you will learn
about the key technologies for the treatment of water, waste, soil and air emissions, their characteristics and
principles for operation. You will be introduced to the environmental analytics and decision tools that are
increasingly used to evidence good environmental performance across a broad range of business sectors.
Terms three and four
Management Consulting
This module will bring together your learning and help you to apply it in practice. Working as part of a team on
a real sustainable business issue with a live corporate partner, you will be required to gather relevant data, use
appropriate tools/frameworks to analyse the data, and propose innovative, pragmatic and achievable
recommendations. A panel of experts will assess your proposed solutions and give you feedback.
Sustainability in Practice
This module simulates a real-life consultancy project. Competing against your class colleagues, your team will
work on a live sustainability challenge project for a partner organisation over the course of a week. You will
formulate recommendations and report to senior executives at the final client presentation. You will investigate
the organisational context and sustainability challenge in depth and discuss potential avenues and the
implications for its resolution. This module will allow you to gain a broader and better understanding of how
organisational action can be best configured to promote responsible and sustainable business behaviours and
strategies.
Research Methods and Statistics
This module will equip you to design, conduct and report on your research project. You will learn to articulate
and define management problems and design research that will help you to make informed management
decisions.
Thesis
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The thesis will require you to undertake a major research project based on a real sustainability business issue,
in an organisation of your choice. You will apply your management knowledge, skills, and analytical abilities to
real-life situations and demonstrate your ability to research issues, critically evaluate data and information,
apply tools and techniques to solve management problems, and write a report concisely, informatively and
persuasively.
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